Nigel Farage has been slammed by UKIP’s Hull-based deputy chairman after deserting the Eurosceptic party.

Mike Hookem, MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, branded Mr Farage – who quit in protest at the direction of the party – a “fading star who will be no practical loss to UKIP”.

He called the former leader a “hypocrite” for ripping up his membership card but failing to step down from his £78,000-a-year MEP job.

Mr Farage on Tuesday, December 4, resigned from the party he helped bring to prominence after becoming unhappy with the leadership of Gerard Batten. His third-in-line successor has hired Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, as an advisor and has moved the party towards an anti-Islam stance.

He is not the first to resign over Mr Batten’s leadership, with former deputy chairwoman and author of the party’s 2015 manifesto, Suzanne Evans, quitting on Monday, citing discomfort with UKIP’s drift towards becoming “successor to the BNP”.

Nigel Farage has quit UKIP

Mr Farage told listeners of his LBC Radio programme: “[Mr Batten] seems to be pretty obsessed with the issue of Islam, not just Islamic extremism, but Islam, and UKIP wasn't founded to be a party fighting a religious crusade. [He is] also obsessed with this figure Tommy Robinson.

“And so, with a heavy heart, and after all my years of devotion to the party, I am leaving UKIP today. There is a huge space for a Brexit party in British politics, but it won’t be filled by UKIP.”

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Mr Farage, who had seven failed bids to become an MP, joined UKIP in 1992 when it was still the Anti-Federalist League. He led the party for nine years, split over two spells, and made UKIP an electoral threat to the extent that ex-prime minister David Cameron caved in over demands for a referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, which led to the 2016 Brexit result.

But Mr Hookem said Mr Farage’s decision to quit the party would be “no significant loss”, accusing the South East MEP of holding UKIP voters in “contempt” since standing down as leader two years ago.

UKIP MEP Mike Hookem pictured in happier times with former party leader Nigel Farage

In a scathing attack, the deputy leader said: “In my experience with Farage, he cannot handle not being at the centre of attention. Farage’s behaviour is the culmination of a 25-year, love-hate relationship he has shared with Gerard Batten.

“The fact that Gerard Batten has rescued UKIP from a financial disaster, in part caused by Farage’s leadership, continued to build the party’s poll ratings, and increased membership must – in my opinion – cut deeply into Nigel’s vast sense of self-importance.

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“In reality, Farage has made it plain since leaving the leadership role that he has nothing but contempt for the membership and those who voted UKIP.

“The loss of Nigel as a supporter will have an impact in sentimental terms, but in practical terms, he is no significant loss. If anything, UKIP is now free of the shackles of the past and can build for the future.”

EDL-founder Tommy Robinson's appointment as a UKIP adviser has split the party

Mr Hookem, who is also the party’s fisheries and defence spokesman, urged Mr Farage to resign from his seat in the European Parliament, where he has been an MEP since 1999.

Speaking from Brussels, the Hull-based politician said: “In 2014, Nigel demanded all incoming UKIP MEPs sign a letter stating they would hand their seat back to the party if we were to leave. We all signed.

“He would be an utter hypocrite to keep his own seat on leaving the party.”

Mr Batten, who survived a no confidence vote on the weekend, gave “full credit” to Mr Farage for the part he played in winning the 2016 EU referendum for the leave side – but said he had “left the party in spirit” after the vote.

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